Cyclone classifier



Aug. 10 1926.

A. H. STEBBINS CYCLONE CLASSIFIER Filed Oct. 5, 1925 40 //V l/ENTOR s BYWAQ' ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

UNITED STATES ALBERT E. STEBBINS, LOS ANGELES, GALIIORII'ZIIA.

CYCLONE CLASSIFIED.

Application filed October 8, 1925. Serial Io. 60,908.

This invention relates to air classifiers and more particularly to a construction in which the materials to be treated are sub jected to the action of spirally whirlingair currents which serve to lift the materials and throw them outwardly by centrifugal force.

In treating finely divided ores and other.

materials it is frequently desirable to separate the materials into different grades or classes, and various constructions have been proposed heretofore for employing the lifting effect of air to classify the materials. In these proposed devices the construction is 1:; usually such that materials differing in size or specific gravity are lifted to different heights by an upwardly directed blast of air so that the materials will enter different collecting chambers.

Fine materials may be classified fairly satisfactorily in this manner, but they can be classified better and more rapidly by employing a centrifugal force in connection with the lifting force of the air so that" the heavier particles are thrown outwardly by the centrifugal force.

The present invention is therefore directed to a cyclone classifier which is so constructed that the materials to be treated are carried upwardly by spirally whirling air currents that throw the heavier materials outwardly bycentrifugal force to enter different material receiving chambers.

One important feature of the present invention resides in the construction of the enclosing-casing for receiving the materials that are thrown outwardly at different heights within the casing; another feature of the invention resides in means for delivering the materials to be treated to the air currents rising Within the classifier, and still another feature resides in the arrangement and construction of the pipe for delivering a blast of air into the lower portion of the casing with a spiral upward movement.

Other features of the invention and novel combination of arts in addition to the above will be hereina er described in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate one good practical form of the invention.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view thru a cyclone classifier constructed in accordance with the present invention and a dust colthru the air inlet pipe where it enters the lector associated with the cyclone classifier is shown in front elevation.

2 is'a top 'plan view of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken container.

In the construction shown the receptacle 10 is made in the form of a cone and flares outwardly in an upward direction. A casmg-like section 11 surrounds the upper end of the receptacle 10 and is supported in spaced relation thereto to form the material receiving space 12 between the receptacle and section. A second casing-like section 13 surrounds the section 11 and is supported in spaced relation thereto to form the material receiving space 14 between these two sec tions.

The materials which enter the space 12 at the left-hand side of the classifier, as shown in Fig. 1, will move downwardly into the hopper 15 provided with the discharge spout 16 controlled by the door or gate 17. The materials that enter this space 12 at other points around the upper end of the receptacle will settle upon the inclined floor 18 and will slide downwardly upon this floor around the outside of the receptacle 10 into the hopper 15.

Likewise the materials that enter the space 14 at the ri' ht-hand side of the classifier, as shown in ig. 1, will move directly down into the hopper 19 having the discharge spout 20, the opening in which may be controlled by the gate 21, and the materials that enter the space 14 at other points around the upper end of the section '11 will move downwardly in this space and settle upon the inclined floor 22 and slide downwardly upon this floor into the hopper 19. The parts of the classifier so far described may be conveniently formed of sheet metal in which case the weight of the sections 11 and 13 will be relatively small, whereupon the inclined floor 18 will serve to support the section 11, while the inclined floor 22 will serve to support the upper casing-like section 13.

As stated, the air employed in efiectin the separation of the materials is directed upwardly within the receptacle 10 with an upward spiral movement, and the means shown for supplying this air to the receptacle consists of a pipe 23 which may be connected to the discharge side of the fan 24 and the end of this pipe is curved upwardly in a around the lower portion of the tapered receptacle 10, and enters a wall of the receptacle so that the outer curved nor en of this pipe; gradually carves diy until it blends into the wall of .e receptacle l0.

The pipe 23 is shown as having the curved blades 26 located at its inner curved face to provide the openings 27 thru which air escapes from the pipe 23 into the receptaclev with an upwardly spiral movement. The air discharged by the pipe 23 may be sucked into the fan from the atmosphere thru the inlet pipe 28. The upper end of the upper section 13 is shown as provided with a flat cover 29 and the arrangement is such that the spiral whirling currents of air, upon reaching the upper end of the classifier, may pass out of the section 13 in a tangential direction thru the opening 30. This air may e discharged into the atmosphere, but is preferably conducted by a pipe 31 to a dust extractor 32 of any well known or preferred construction.

In the construction shown, the materials to be treated are not carried into the receptacle by the blast of. air within the pipe 23, but are delivered into the classifier by means to be described, so that they will be carried upwardly by the rising air and Wlll be thrown outwardly by its whirling movement to effect the desired separation.

In the construction shown the means for deliverin the materials to be treated into the classiner consists of a hopper 33 mounted upon the cover 29 and provided with a pipe 34 extending downwardly centrally within the classifier far enough to cause its lower end to lie below the upper edge of the receptacle 10. The discharge of the materials from the lower end of the pipe 34 is controlled by a head 35 the upper portion of which is preferably somewhat coneshaped as shown, and this head may be supported by a bolt 36 extending downwardly within the pipe 34 and the upper end of which passes thru a bridge bar 37 resting upon the hopper 33. The distance between the lower end of the pipe 34 and the head 35 may be adjusted to vary the feed of the materials by adjusting the nut 38.

It is desirable that the materials upon leaving the lower end of the pipe 34 shall be thrown outwardly towards the walls of the receptacle 19, and to this end the upper portion of the head 35 is provided with a number of air apertures 39 and air is forced into this head in the construction shown by a branch pipe 40 leading from the main pipe 23 and having a vertically extending portion 41 which preferably fits telescopically within the pipe 42 extending downwardly from the head 35 to permit vertical adjustment of the latter. The air holes 39 within the head are ,formed so that the materials will be directions tower: s

tacle by the small, laterally inclined jets of.

air.

The materials from the end of carried upwardly rising within the receptacle 10 which serves to lift these materials and to throw them out by centrifugal force against the difl'erent walls of the classifier. The heavy materials which are thrown out against the wall of the receptacle 10 will move downwardly therein and collect in the hopper 43 at the lower end of this receptacle and ,from which they may be drawn thru the discharge pipe 44. The somewhat lighter materials which are thrown outwardly against the walls of the section 11 will move downwardly into the space 12, whereupon they will pass into the hopper 15, and the still lighter materials thrown out against the walls of the upper section 13 will pass downwardly within the space 14 and enter the hopper 19. The very fine materials which remain suspended'in the air when it reaches the upper end of the classifier will pass outwardly thru the opening 30, as above stated, and may be delivered to the dust extractor 32 for further tretment.

By imparting a spiral whirlin movement to the air within the cyclone c assifier the heavier materials are thrown outwardly by centrifugal force so that they are separated out of the air more quickly and more effectively than they would be if they were simply subjected to the action of a blast of air moving vertically upwardly within the classifier.

What is claimed is 1. A cyclone classifier, comprising in combination, aconical receptacle constructed to flare outwardly in an upward direction, a frusto-conical section surrounding the receptacle in spaced relation thereto to form an annular material receiving space between them and extending upwardl a substantial distance above the upper en of the receptacle to direct the materials thrown outward against the walls of the section into said space, a second frusto-conical section surrounding the first section in spaced relation thereto to form an annular passage between them and extending upwardly a substantial distance above the first section to provide a chamber in which the material laden air may whirl, means for delivering a blast of air into the lower portion of the receptacle with an upward spiral movement, means for delivering the materials to be treated into the recelaotacle, and means within the receptacle for isseminatin'g the materials and for delivering them in a disseminated condition into the path of the rising air currents so that they will be carried upwardly in the thus thrown outwardly the discharge pipe 34 are by the spiral whirling air said section and the receptac receptacle by the air and thrown outwardly by the whirling movement of the air to enter said spaces.

2. A cyclone classifier, comprising in combination, a conical receptacle constructed to flare outwardly in an upward directlon, a casing-like sect-ion surrounding the upper end of the receptacle and spaced therefrom to form a material receiving space between said section and the receptacle, a downwardly extending portion extending from said section and forming a material receiving hopper, means for directing a blast of air into the receptacle with an upward spiral movement, and a distributor within the classifier constructed to throw the materials to be treated outwardly into the path of the rising air currents to be carried upwardly by the air and thrown outwardly by its whirling movement to cause the materials to enter said space.

3. A cyclone classifier, comprising in combination, a receptacle mounted in an upright position, a casing-like section surrounding the upper end of the receptacle and spaced therefrom to form a material receiving space between the receptacle and section, means for directing a blast of air into the receptacle with an upward spiral movement, means for delivering the materials to be treated into the receptacle, and a material distributing head within the receptacle provided with air apertures through which air is forced to throw the materials outwardly into the path of the rising air currents to be carried upwardly and thrown outwardly by the whirling movement of the air to cause the heavier particles to enter said space 4. A cyclone classifier, comprising in combination, an upwardly flaring receptacle, a casing-like section surrounding the upper end of the receptacle and spaced therefrom to form a material receiving space between them, means for delivering a blast of air into the receptacle with an upward spiral movement including an air pipe that enters a side wall of the receptacle and has an end portion that curves spirally about the receptacle, a feed pipe for delivering the materials to be treated into the classifier, and an air discharge head adjacent the delivery end of said pipe for throwing the materials outward into the path of the spirally rising air currents to carry the materials upwardly and I throw them outwardly against the wall of the section to move downward into said space.

5. A cyclone classifier, comprising in combination, an upwardly flaring receptacle, a casing-like section surrounding the u per end of the receptacle and spaced there rom to form a material receiving space between e, means for delivering a blast of air into the lower portion of the receptacle with an upward spiral movement, a feed pipe for delivering the materials to be treated into the classifier and provided at its discharge end with means for directing the materials outwardly in various directions into the path of the rising air currents to be carried upwardly thereby and thrown outwardly by the whirling movement of the air to enter said space.

6. A cyclone classifier, comprising in combination, an upwardly flaring receptacle, a casing-like section surrounding the upper end of the receptacle and spaced therefrom to form a material receiving space between said section and the receptacle, means for delivering a blast of air into the receptacle with an upward spiral movement, a feed pipe for delivering the materials to be treated into the classifier, an air discharge head at the lower end of said pipe for blowing the materials outwardly into the path of said rising air currents so that they will be lifted and thrown outwardly by the spiral movement of the air to enter said space, and means for forcing air into said head. 7. A cyclone classifier, comprising in combination, an upwardly flaring receptacle, a casing-like section surrounding the upper end of the receptacle and spaced therefrom to form a material receiving space between said section and the receptacle, means for delivering a blast of air into the receptacle with an upward spiral movement, a feed pipe for delivering the materials to be treated into the classifier, an air dis charge head adjustably supported at the end of said pipe to regulate the discharge of materials therefrom, and means for forcing air into said head for throwing the materials outwardly into the path of the rising air currents so that the will be lifted and thrown outwardly spiral movement of the air to enter said space.

8. A cyclone classifier, comprising in combination, a receptacle mounted in an upright position, 'a casing-like section surrounding the upper end of the receptacle and spaced therefrom to form a material receiving space between the receptacle and section, means for directing a blast of air into the lower portion of the receptacle with an upward spiral movement including a pipe curved around the receptacle and having a plurality of inwardly directed openings thru WhlCll the air enters the receptacle, and a distributor for delivering the materials to be treated into the path of the rising air currents to be lifted thereby and thrown outward by the spiral movement of the air to enter said space.

- In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ALBERT H. STEBBINS.

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